Ed White

Simon Weaver urged his Harrogate Town squad to give the home fans more to cheer and spark life into their FA Cup challenge.

Town embark on the third qualifying round this Saturday with lower league Burscough set to arrive at the CNG Stadium (3pm kick-off)

With £7,500 on offer to the winner, the famous competition is a valuable exercise for Weaver’s men who will be strong favourites to claim a place in the hat for Monday’s final qualifying round draw.

Town welcome Burscough on the back of consecutive 1-0 victories, with winger Brendon Daniels smashing home set-pieces in both games.

Saturday’s win over Gloucester City took Town up to third in Vanarama National North.

But despite being 57 places above the visitors in the football hierarchy, Weaver insisted that he would leave “no stone unturned” in his preparation for facing a side that has risen out of the Evo-Stik First Division North relegation battle thanks to a six-match winning streak.

“On Monday, there’s a draw for the next round and we want to be in the hat for it.”

Simon Weaver

He said: “It’s a big game for us. We really need to concentrate on what it will take to win the game.

“We have to prove what we are all about and get back to the more fluid performances and dragging the other team about.

“We can’t just turn up and expect to win this. They have got a lot of good young players who will be hoping to use the cup to increase their value.

“You see it so many times in the FA Cup when people lower their standards.

“We have to make sure we do a job in front of the home fans.

“It’s good that all the players are realistic this season with everything. No one is going round saying we will nail this one.

“We have watched them on more than one occasion, so there will be no stone unturned.

“We know they will turn up with no pressure on them. But there’s pressure on everyone in the FA Cup because of the money on offer. You have to thrive on that.

“On Monday, there’s a draw for the next round and we want to be in the hat for it.”

Weaver surprised Town supporters by selecting left winger Louie Swain in centre-midfield at Gloucester after experimenting with the idea with the U21s.

Swain is likely to retain the role alongside Cecil Nyoni this weekend, with veteran midfielder Paul Thirlwell still sidelined with a calf injury.

On Swain, Weaver added: “We have had the injury problems in midfield and Tom Platt returning to York. Ryan did well at Workington but I knew it was going to be a war in there up at Gloucester.

“Last year I remember we were too tippy-tappy in there and didn’t want to win a 50-50.

“We experimented with Louie in the midfield in the U21s and he set up four goals against Farsley.

“It’s another Harrogate lads that wears his heart on his sleeve. I went with the gut instinct and put him in and he took it with both hands.”